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Simon Pagenaud shows off his Senna-inspired helmet alongside IndyCar's Brazilian contingent of (from left to right) Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Gil de Ferran. Pagenaud will wear the one-off design in the Indianapolis 500.

Ayrton Senna helmet will be worn in Indy 500 by Simon Pagenaud

May 15, 2014

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Twenty years and just a few weeks after three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna died from injuries suffered in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, a Verizon IndyCar Series star -- one you might not expect -- will pay homage to the late Brazilian legend.

French driver Simon Pagenaud, who won last week's inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, on Friday unveiled his Senna tribute as practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 continued.

“Ayrton Senna has been the inspiration for my entire life, whether I'm in a race car or not,” the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver said at Indy. “He was my hero as a child, my role model as a teenager and my example as a human and a race-car driver.”

Pagenaud said he several months ago contacted the Senna family about the idea with the help of 2003 Indy 500 winner and Senna's fellow Brazilian Gil de Ferran, who, along with active Brazilian IndyCar drivers Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, was on hand as Pagenaud unveiled the helmet.

“Ayrton's yellow helmet is recognized all over the world for the aura it had around one of the most special race-car drivers we have ever known,” Pagenaud explained. “After meeting people who knew and worked with Senna and realizing how blessed I am to have made a life in racing for myself as well, I wanted to carry Ayrton with me to another checkered flag.

“I have always found myself in Senna's explanation of what driving a race car feels like. I have read, analyzed and studied his racecraft. I've always found so much strength in the dedication he committed to driving to perfection.”

Pagenaud plans to auction off the helmet following the race; proceeds will benefit the Instituto Ayrton Senna, which promotes children's literacy efforts.

“Senna inspired people throughout the entire world, and his legacy lives on through the Ayrton Senna Institute, which was established by his sister, Viviane,” Pagenaud said. “I'm truly honored that Viviane and her son [and fellow race-car driver] Bruno Senna have allowed me to be part of this special opportunity to commemorate Ayrton's memory at the Indianapolis 500. I'm so excited to have this opportunity to thank Ayrton for what he has taught me up to this day and what he will continue to teach me in the future.”

Simon Pagenaud

“We are really pleased to receive this special homage,” said Bianca Senna, Ayrton Senna's niece and director of the Ayrton Senna Institute. “In 2014, celebrating 20 years of Ayrton's legacy, we are happy with all the tributes that he is receiving around the world. I also want to thank Simon Pagenaud for creating and auctioning off this special helmet. It will help us in our projects at the Ayrton Senna Institute which benefit 2 million children and young people each year.”

Perhaps appropriately, Pagenaud's helmet -- like all modern F1 and IndyCar helmets -- features a reinforcing strip of Zylon across the top of its visor. Senna might very well have survived his fatal crash on May 1, 1994 had that feature existed at the time; he died after suffering a massive head injury when a piece of his car's suspension struck his head as he crashed at Imola's Tamburello corner. In last week's Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Andretti Autosport driver James Hinchcliffe -- also using the Zylon visor strip -- suffered a concussion but was otherwise uninjured after a piece of Justin Wilson's front wing hit his helmet and visor at speed on the Indy road course's back straight.

Pagenaud's gesture represents the latest outpouring of respect and fond memories for Senna from throughout the international racing community, which has spent several weeks recalling his life, career and death.